Nitish challenges PM Modi to 'debate' on reservation

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a debate over the 'reservation row' and asked the latter to stop his efforts to 'communalise' the state Assembly elections.

"Modiji I'm ready to debate the issue of reservation with you anyday. Stop misleading people and your efforts to add communal color to Bihar Polls," Nitish tweeted.

The reservation battle has been the flavour this Bihar election and is see-sawing between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the grand alliance.

Prime Minister Modi had earlier stepped up the attack on Nitish over the reservation row saying that the Chief Minister had 'intended to snatch' 5 per cent quota from SCs, STs, OBCs and EBCs and that he wanted to give reservation only on 'communal' basis.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janatal Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has been lashing out the Prime Minister over the reservation row, saying 'Modi is playing the communal card on reservation'.

Slamming the BJP for their 'continuous' efforts to 'communalise' the nation, Lalu said today that it was the first time the nation had seen such an 'insensitive' Prime Minister.

"He is the king of scams as he has pulled a number of them across the nation. Even now he is using the money he procured from various scam for the Bihar elections. Let me assure you that Narendra Modi's farewell from this nation is set and no one can save him. It's the first time the nation has had such an insensitive and senseless Prime Minister," Lalu told the media here.